County approves updated Hazard Mitigation Plan

Published 4:07 am, Saturday, January 25, 2014

Midland County commissioners have unanimously approved a revised Midland County Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act requires each county to formulate a hazard mitigation plan. Every five years the plan needs to be revised.

“Our last plan (instituted in 2008) actually expired at the end of November of last year,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Roger Garner. “I’ve been working through some final details with FEMA and we got notice that FEMA approved our updated plan just before the holidays. In order for it to become effective for the community, the board of commissioners needs to adopt it.”

The plan contains a risk hazard vulnerability analysis, taking a look at the community hazards, who would be affected by them and proposed solutions to those hazards by trying to prevent them or minimize their effect.

After adoption, each community is eligible to apply for hazard mitigation grant funds.

“After flooding, we may identify so much money to repair damage that had taken place,” said Garner. “But, if we had some extra money on top of that, we could mitigate it and prevent it from happening again. Just because we are eligible to apply for funding, it doesn’t mean we have to. It just makes it possible for us to do that.”

Following adoption by the county, the City of Midland also approved the plan.

“Also, any townships that are interested may approve the plan,” said Garner. “I think last time we had about half of the townships that adopted it.”

“First there is all the mitigation that they do internally, which is basically their maintenance program to keep everything inside the pipelines, tanks and such,” said Garner. “Our concern beyond that is to educate the public what they can do to protect themselves when there is a release.”

That education includes making the public aware of the avenues used to relay warnings and ways the public can properly shelter themselves from leaks.

“People need to stay indoors, seal up their doors and windows the best they can; turn off their (heating, ventilation and air conditioning units) and that sort of thing,” said Garner.

Rich Keenan, R-4th District, was impressed by the time and effort Garner put in to complete the plan.

“I will say that we are one of a handful that do our own,” replied Garner. “Most counties contract outside and pay other people to do these plans for them. I felt like I know the community, it’s my responsibility and I’m going to do it. It was a lot rougher the first time around. This time it went a lot smoother. Some counties pay as much as $40,000 to do this.”

To read the full report, visit: co.midland.mi.us/departments/home.php?id=10